Love for a Kittypet
by Roseminty
Summary: Set sometime during Into the Wild. Sandpaw realizes she has feelings for Firepaw, but when a terrible plot leaves the young tom gravely injured, she may never get to tell him. Firepaw/Sandpaw. Tiny, one-sided Dustpaw/Sandpaw. Rated T for some violence.
1. Chapter 1: Two Toms

**Love for a Kittypet**

A Warriors Fanfiction

By: Roseminty (Emily)

Ummm... I wrote this a really long time ago. :P Looking back on it now, I realize there is so much that could be improved. I may get around to that someday, but, until then, hope you still enjoy it. ^_^

I don't own Warriors!

Summary: Set sometime during Into the Wild. Sandpaw realizes she has feelings for Firepaw, but when a terrible plot leaves the young tom gravely injured, will she ever get to tell him? SandpawxFirepaw. VERY small hint of DustpawxSandpaw. Rated T for some violence.

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Chapter 1: Two Toms

Sandpaw was pushing through the gorse tunnel into the Thunderclan camp when she bumped into Firepaw. Her heart sped up and she dropped the starling she had been carrying.

"Hello, Firepaw," she stammered.

"Hi, Sandpaw," he said cheerfully. "Was the hunting good? I'm just about to go myself." It was greenleaf, and the food was plentiful. She thought he was just saying that to make friendly conversation.

"Yes," Sandpaw said, at a loss for words. For a while now she had secretly had feelings for Firepaw, but had chosen to keep them hidden. What would he say if she told him she loved him? She had been mean to him like Dustpaw from the moment he came into Thunderclan as a kittypet. But after a short while, she didn't think of him as a kittypet anymore, and she didn't tease him anymore, though Dustpaw still teased him all the time.

"Is something wrong?" asked Firepaw, worry filling his green eyes.

"No, no, I'm fine, really," she said a little too quickly.

"Ok," he said, not sounding convinced. "I'll see you later." He pushed past her and disappeared from view into the tunnel. Sandpaw sighed, then picked up the starling and headed over to the fresh kill pile, adding her catch to the supply.

"Hey, Sandpaw!" a voice called to her from the edge of the camp. She turned and saw Dustpaw. She padded over to him.

"Yeah?" she said questioningly.

"I know you just went hunting, but do you want to go again with me?" he asked. She could see the hope in his eyes.

"Umm, actually, Dustpaw, I was hoping to just take a quick nap," she replied. "I'm kind of tired."

His face fell with disappointment. "Oh, alright." He padded away, his tail drooping. She had really let him down. _I wonder if he has feelings for me, _she wondered, _feelings that go beyond friendship. _She didn't think she could ever feel that way about him, though. She went into the apprentices' den and curled up in a pile of moss. As she drifted into sleep, her thoughts were on Firepaw's handsome orange fur and deep green eyes.

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Yeah yeah yeah, please please please review review review. (Don't ask. O.o)


	2. Chapter 2: Misunderstanding

Chapter 2: Misunderstanding

Sandpaw was so close. Just one more step, and she would be close enough to catch the squirrel she was stalking. It was the next day, and she was out hunting alone again. She cautiously took a step forward, but her paw pressed down on a twig, snapping it in two and causing the squirrel to run up a tree.

"Fox dung!" she hissed, frustrated. Sandpaw had not caught anything yet, and it was already sunhigh. She was distracted by thoughts of a certain tom, but she refused to admit it to herself. "I'm just tired, that's all," she sighed, though she had gotten plenty of sleep. Suddenly, she heard rustling in the bushes to her left, and the tom that had kept her thoughts occupied all morning strolled out of the undergrowth with a mole in his jaws. Sandpaw's heart skipped a beat as Firepaw walked toward her.

"Hi, Sandpaw," he said, dropping the mole. "No luck hunting?"

"No," she mumbled, looking down at her feet. _Great, _she thought, _now he thinks I'm as useless as a dead rattlesnake._

Firepaw eyes softened with understanding. "I think I can guess why you are so distracted," he said.

"Really?" asked Sandpaw, her thoughts suddenly jumbled. _Does he know that I love him? Even if he does, does he feel the same way?_

"Yes," he said, getting close enough to whisper in her ear. A shiver ran down Sandpaw's spine to have Firepaw so close. "I think a tomcat is distracting you from your hunting skills." Her eyes widened. So he did know! But then he said the unthinkable, "It's Dustpaw, right?" Sandpaw took a step back. 

"No! I could never like Dustpaw that way! He's just a friend!" she exclaimed, wanting to rid Firepaw's mind of that idea. _If only he knew that I feel that way about him._

Firepaw's head cocked to one side, looking at her curiously. "Well then what is it, Sandpaw? Even though you're an apprentice, you're one of the best hunters in Thunderclan. What could possibly make you hunt like a kit?" He said this with humor dancing in his eyes. _Typical Firepaw, always lightening the mood with his good humor. _Oh, she loved him so. She stood there for a moment, staring at him, wanting to just go up and press her muzzle into his.

"Sandpaw?" he meowed, snapping her out of her trance.

"Oh, it's nothing, Firepaw, I just had a bad dream last night and it's kind of distracting me," she lied. _Now I'm lying to him! Stupid, stupid Sandpaw._

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked. She could see he was actually worried about her.

"No thanks, I'll be fine," Sandpaw replied.

Firepaw looked at her funny, then walked up and touched his tail tip to her flank, sending shivers up and down her spine again. "I'm here for you if you ever want to tell me anything," he said warmly.

"Thanks," she said, staring into his green eyes. She already felt better about lying to him. He trusted her completely.

"Of course! Do you want to hunt with me? Maybe I can help take your mind off that dream," he said, picking up the mole again.

"Sure, that would be great," meowed Sandpaw.

"Ok," said Firepaw, his voice muffled through the mouthful of mole. He carried the mole to the base of a tree and dropped it, scraping some earth over it so he could come get it later.

"Where do you want to go?" he asked. "Maybe over by the Riverclan border?"

"That would be fine," she said, not caring where they went. Just the fact that she was with the one she secretly loved was enough to make her hunt in Shadowclan territory, as long as she was with him. Firepaw bounded off, with Sandpaw right next to him, their pelts brushing. Sandpaw wanted this hunt to last forever. The two cats were nearing the Riverclan border and they could hear the stream gurgling. All of a sudden, a bundle of fur leaped out of a thistle and landed heavily on top of Firepaw, sending them both tumbling into the trunk of a tree.

"Firepaw!" she shouted, running over to where a familiar cat had Firepaw pinned to the ground.

"Get off me, Dustpaw!" hissed Firepaw, pummeling Dustpaw's underbelly with his hind paws. Dustpaw stepped away, shook himself, and gave his chest fur a few quick licks. Then he looked up at Firepaw, who was trying to lick his dirty fur clean, and let out a _mrrow _or laughter. 

"I got you good, kittypet!" he meowed, "You didn't see that one coming, did you? Your kittypet background has probably messed up your senses so you can't even smell when a cat is near!" Sandpaw looked at him angrily.

"That was awful, Dustpaw!" she yelled. "Why do you always have to tease him?" Dustpaw's eyes widened in shock.

"I'm sorry, Sandpaw, I just thought it was all in good fun," he said uncertainly. 

"Well it wasn't funny to me, and I'm sure it wasn't funny to Firepaw!"

"Sandpaw, it's alright," Firepaw mewed calmly, interrupting her ranting and raving, "I'm sure Dustpaw was just joking."

Dustpaw sneered at Firepaw. "Yeah, sure, kittypet, whatever you say," he said, strolling back into the thistle and disappearing.

"I'm sorry he has to be like that, Firepaw," said Sandpaw, looking at him with concern. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine Sandpaw, really, but I think I'll just get that mole and head back to camp."

"Oh, ok," she said, disappointed. She had really wanted to go hunting with him. "I think I'll just keep hunting for a while." She didn't want to go back to camp with no contribution to the fresh kill pile.

"See you, then," Firepaw said, waving his tail as he padded back the way they had come. Sandpaw watched until he was out of view, then kept going towards the Riverclan border. _Leave it to Dustpaw to mess things up!_ She was really mad at him now, but she would try to hunt for a while. Somehow, she didn't think she was going to catch anything.

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Well, how'd you like it? This chapter was longer than the first. Do you think it was too long? Please tell me! Oh, about Dustpaw and Sandpaw being siblings, they aren't. I looked on multiple sites. So them being a couple is a possibility. Anyways, please, please review! And thanks to those who reviewed the first chapter. 


	3. Chapter 3: Dawn Patrol

Chapter 3: Dawn Patrol

"Sandpaw! Sandpaw, wake up!" shouted a voice in her ear. A paw prodded her side and Sandpaw wearily opened eyes to see Dustpaw standing over her. The memory of yesterday's events was fresh in her mind. She was about to spit a sharp comment at him for waking her up so early when he said something first.

"You have the dawn patrol with Whitestorm, Darkstripe, Bluestar, Firepaw, and I," he said, naming all three of the apprentices' mentors. "Have you forgotten?"

"No, I haven't forgotten," she spat. She really had forgotten, but refused to admit it to him. She was still upset from what he did to Firepaw yesterday.

Dustpaw's took a step back, towards the entrance to the den. "Ok," he said, surprised at her outburst, "I'll see you outside." He turned around and padded outside. Sandpaw noticed Graypaw, who was still in the den, looking at her. She rounded on him.

"What?"

"Nothing," he muttered, laying his head back down and pretending to go back to sleep. Sandpaw stood up, shook herself, and trotted out into the fresh morning air. The members of the dawn patrol were all waiting for her. She immediately looked over to Firepaw, and their eyes locked for a moment. Sandpaw thought she could just get lost in those eyes forever…

She broke away from his penetrating gaze. "Sorry I'm late," she mumbled, looking at her paws.

"It's alright," Bluestar said gently. "We weren't ready to go ourselves until just now, anyway. Were we, Darkstripe?" Darkstripe mumbled something about 'dawn patrols' and 'too early'. Whitestorm's and Bluestar's eyes glittered with amusement.

"Let's go," Bluestar meowed, bounding through the gorse tunnel with Whitestorm and Darkstripe following close behind. Dustpaw went through next, probably wanting to give Sandpaw some space. Firepaw looked over at her.

"Go ahead," he said kindly. As she went past him, her nostrils filled with his scent. When everyone was through, Bluestar directed where they would be going.

"First we'll head over to the Shadowclan border, and then we can circle back around and check out the place closest to the Twoleg nests. I want to make sure no kittypets have been too far into the forest." She stopped and glanced at Firepaw. "I didn't mean—"

"I know," he interrupted. Bluestar nodded, and then they set off. Nothing was out of the ordinary along the Thunderpath that formed the border with Shadowclan. But when they got close to the Twoleg nests, all the cat's senses were overwhelmed with the stench of kittypet scent markers.

"Kittypets have been in our forest! Setting markers!" exclaimed Darkstripe.

"Let's just set our own all along here, and hopefully they won't try this again," instructed Bluestar. After that was done, and they were heading back to camp, Firepaw fell into step beside Sandpaw.

"Are you still mad at Dustpaw?" he asked quietly, with a quick glance at the subject of their discussion, who was pretty far ahead of them.

"Of course I am! I still can't believe what he did to you!" replied Sandpaw, fur bristling with anger.

"Sandpaw, please don't be mad at him anymore. The only reason he teases me is because of my kittypet background, and I don't want to get in the way of his and your friendship," Firepaw mewed. Sandpaw let her fur lie flat again.

"I'll try to be nice to him again," she said reluctantly, "but if he does something like that again--"

"Sandpaw, please, don't," Firepaw whispered. "I don't pay attention to his taunts and I don't let them bug me. You don't need to make a big deal about it. I'm just glad that you are my friend. Without you, I would only have one friend who really understands me." Sandpaw knew he was talking about Graypaw.

A purr rose in Sandpaw's throat. "And I'm glad to be your friend." Firepaw purred, too, and reached over to lick her ear. She pushed her muzzle against his. Then they continued to walk back to camp side by side, their pelts touching.

Dustpaw glared at the two cats jealously. Firepaw and Sandpaw didn't think he saw them walking with their coats so close together, but he certainly did. Dustpaw turned his head back forward and continued to march solemnly back to camp. _What could Sandpaw possibly see in that weak kittypet? _he thought. _Well, no matter. I'll take care of Firepaw soon, and then Sandpaw will come running back to me. She'll need some cat's shoulder to cry on, and I will be that cat._

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Did you like it? Please oh please review:)


	4. Chapter 4: A Treacherous Plan

Chapter 4: A Treacherous Plan

"This plan will benefit both of us," said an apprentice to his mentor. As the young tomcat explained his plan, his mentor's thoughts were drifting to the cat the two of them were planning to get rid of. _Stupid kittypet,_ he was thinking. _He never should have been let into Thunderclan. He's an outsider and a weakling and he always will be. He is of no use except taking up space in our clan._ The mentor snapped back into the real world to find his apprentice staring at him expectantly.

"Well, what do you think?" the apprentice asked eagerly.

"I think it is an excellent plan," his mentor replied warmly, though he had only heard bits of it. "You have done well learning what I have taught you. We will carry out this plan tomorrow. Now, if any cat asks where you have been, just say you were doing some night training with me. Understand?"

"Yes, Darkstripe," the young cat nodded, trotting out of the small, moonlit clearing they had secretly met in. _Once Dustpaw and I get rid of Firepaw, Thunderclan will once again be full of strong, clan-born cats. There will be no weaklings like Firepaw to make Thunderclan less strong._

Sandpaw peered out of the apprentices' den and blinked in the early morning sun. She spotted Firepaw heading towards the gorse tunnel.

"Firepaw!" she shouted. "Wait up!" He turned around and beckoned her with his tail.

"You can hunt with me if you would like," mewed Firepaw, touching his nose to hers.

"Okay," Sandpaw said. She padded through the tunnel with Firepaw close behind. "Where do you want to go?"

"I thought maybe we could head over towards Sunningrocks, if that's all right with you," Firepaw replied.

"That's fine," said Sandpaw. They began loping through the undergrowth, dodging plants and trees.

They slowed down when they neared their destination, for they could smell prey. Sandpaw scented a mole and veered away from Firepaw, slowly stalking toward where she could hear it shuffling through the leaves. When she was close enough, Sandpaw crouched down and leaped forward, landing on the mole and killing it with a quick bite to its neck.

As she buried her catch to get it later, she got the creepy feeling that another cat was nearby, other than Firepaw. The fur along her spine started to rise, and she prepared for some unknown danger, but nothing happened.

Just as she was beginning to relax, a horrifying sound confronted her. It was the screech of an injured cat, and she recognized the voice instantly. It was Firepaw!

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I am so sorry this chapter is so extremely short! I have been really busy with school projects and such and I will try to post a nice long chapter soon. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapters! Please review this one (even though it's so short)!


	5. Chapter 5: Horrible Discovery

Chapter 5: Horrible Discovery

"Firepaw!" screamed Sandpaw as she crashed through the shrubs towards the voice. She burst out of the undergrowth to find herself on the banks of the river. She frantically glanced around, but she could see nobody. Sandpaw began following the river and she soon came to an area where the small plants and ferns grew right up next to the water. From within those plants she could hear low voices. She could only make out a few disconnected words.

"Firepaw… kittypet… worthless…die!" Sandpaw jumped at the last word and, taking a deep breath, leaped into the ferns. Closing her eyes as the leaves brushed her face, Sandpaw opened them to a surprising sight. Dustpaw and Darkstripe stood over the still, bleeding body of Firepaw. Sandpaw felt the earth sway beneath her, her head spinning in confusion and fear. Her paws folded under her, and she collapsed onto the ground.

"Sandpaw!" hissed Darkstripe. "What's she doing here!?"

"Oh, I don't know, I invited her," Dustpaw said sarcastically. "I have no idea! I thought Firepaw was hunting alone!"

"Well, now what are we going to do? She saw us before she fainted! Maybe we can just continue with our plan of making it look like Firepaw drowned, and then take her back to camp. We can tell her we tried to save him, but couldn't," Darkstripe meowed quietly.

"But what if she saw the blood?"

"Well… Firepaw hit his head on a rock! That's it," Darkstripe said, "and then he fell in, and drowned. This makes this plan even more great! Now we can say we tried to help Firepaw like valiant warriors, but he was already gone. Then we will be appreciated!"

Dustpaw's eyes glittered at the thought of being praised by the clan leader. As he was daydreaming about the whole clan bowing to him in appreciation, he was suddenly knocked onto his side, rolling over before coming to a halt on his back with a cat on top of him. Sandpaw! The two cats had been so absorbed in their conversation that they hadn't realized Sandpaw had gotten up from her fake faint and had slowly made her way over to them.

Sandpaw hissed menacingly. "How could you do this, Dustpaw?"

"Sandpaw, it's… uhhh… not what you think!" Dustpaw stammered.

"I heard every word, Dustface!" said Sandpaw, spitting the name at him ferociously. "I heard about your sick plan to kill Firepaw! But why? Why are you doing this!?"

Now that Dustpaw knew he had been exposed, he sneered at Sandpaw in defiance. "I did it to get rid of the cat you loved, so you would come running back to me, so you would love me instead of that spineless kittypet!" Dustpaw's eyes softened. "I love you, Sandpaw. Can't you see that?"

Sandpaw snarled in anger. "How can you even say that to me? After you lied and manipulated and—" Sandpaw was cut off as someone bit into her scruff, dragging her off of Dustpaw and pinning her to the ground.

"About time!" grumbled Dustpaw, getting to his paws. "I was beginning to think you'd left me!"

Darkstripe let out a _mrrow _of laughter as he looked into the terrified face of Sandpaw. "Did you really think you could beat a full-fledged warrior plus an apprentice?" he teased. "Well, it doesn't matter now, because now I will proceed to kill you, and we will say… hmm… I know! That you jumped into the river after Firepaw, but, sadly, you drowned, too, and were carried away by the river. Tragic, really." Sandpaw struggled against the muscular warrior's grip, but it was no use.

_At least I'll see Firepaw once we get to Starclan, _she thought. Sandpaw squeezed her eyes shut and waited for Darkstripe to kill her.

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What'd you think? I hope this chapter wasn't too short. Please tell me what you think! Review, please! Thanks a bundle! (That was weird, yes, but I had the need to say it. Sorry!) 


	6. Chapter 6: Salvation and Anguish

Chapter 6: Salvation and Anguish

Sandpaw cautiously opened her eyes as she felt the weight of Darkstripe on top of her lift away. Scrambling to her paws, she slowly took in all that was happening around her. Whitestorm had a fighting Darkstripe pinned to the ground, with Graypaw snapping at his flailing legs and tail. A flash of brown fur speeding into the clearing towards Dustpaw was revealed to be Runningwind. He barreled into Dustpaw, sending the traitor thumping to the ground. Finally, Bluestar, knowing that this fight was going on successfully without her assistance, bounded over to where Sandpaw stood, who was still too stunned to move.

"What exactly happened here?" Bluestar asked worriedly, not waiting for an answer. "Runningwind, Whitestorm, Graypaw, and I were on patrol when we smelled other cats and blood. We followed the scent here and saw Darkstripe about to sink his teeth into you, with Dustpaw watching. Who is hurt?"

Sandpaw stared at the clan leader for a second. Realizing that Bluestar obviously hadn't seen the one injured cat, she frantically glanced around, spotting Firepaw lying in the ferns on the edge of the clearing, half hidden in shadow. Following Sandpaw's gaze, Bluestar immediately spotted the bleeding body.

"Firepaw!" exclaimed Bluestar, sprinting to where he lay. Sandpaw was close behind. As she got closer, Sandpaw could see more clearly the extent of the damage. Firepaw had a long gash running from his shoulder to his flank, which was the main source of all the blood. But he also had a cut on his tail and a scratch over his eye, which was swollen. His left foreleg was twisted at an odd angle underneath him. For one terrifying moment, Sandpaw thought he was dead, for he had his eyes closed and appeared to not be breathing. But the faint rise and fall of his side indicated that he was still alive, but barely.

"We have to get him to Yellowfang!" meowed Sandpaw, looking at Bluestar. The blue-gray she-cat only stared at Firepaw, horrified at her apprentice's injury. "Bluestar!" yelled Sandpaw.

Bluestar turned her head towards Sandpaw, then shook her head. "We cannot move him. He has a broken leg and he is losing more and more blood each moment. Yellowfang must come to him."

Without another word, Sandpaw spun around and raced out of the clearing towards the Thunderclan camp. She didn't watch where she was going; she ran into more than a few bramble bushes and small trees. But she kept going, running until her lungs were burning and the wind was stinging her eyes. She finally came to the edge of the camp and pushed through the gorse tunnel, snagging her fur. The cats all turned to look at her, startled by her panting, ragged form. Sandpaw didn't stop to explain. She bounded towards the medicine cat's den, bursting in to find Yellowfang inside her cleft in the rock, sorting herbs. The dark gray cat whipped around.

"Sandpaw?" Yellowfang mewed. "What's wrong?"

"It's Firepaw!" Sandpaw panted. "He's badly hurt! You have to come help him!" Yellowfang turned and disappeared back inside the cleft without a moment's hesitation. She quickly returned with a bundle of herbs in her jaws. Sandpaw ran out of the den, with Yellowfang following. Once again she was sprinting through the forest, everything going by in a blur. And, once again, Sandpaw ran until she felt like she would collapse with exhaustion. At last the two cats reached the clearing. Not noticing Whitestorm, Runningwind, and Graypaw guarding the defeated and hurt Darkstripe and Dustpaw, Yellowfang went over to where Firepaw still lay, Bluestar watching over him.

Setting down the herbs, Yellowfang stated the obvious. "He doesn't have much time; we have to hurry if he's going to live."

Sandpaw stood to the side, trembling at the thought of Firepaw gone. _Firepaw can't die, _she thought, _He just can't._

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Well? Did you like it? I tried to make it have more action and not so much dialogue. Was it good? What did you think about Firepaw's injuries? Do you think they were severe enough? Please tell me! Review!


	7. Chapter 7: Self Doubt

Chapter 7: Self Doubt

Yellowfang hurriedly wrapped a bunch of cobweb around her paw and pressed it on Firepaw's largest cut that ran the whole length of one side of his body, from his shoulder to his flank. It stopped bleeding some, but the blood still flowed, and the cobwebs were soaked.

"Sandpaw! Get me more cobwebs!" Yellowfang yelled. Sandpaw hesitated, wanting to be with Firepaw, but then turned and sped away. She soon found some in the surrounding area and ran back. Yellowfang looked up and meowed, "Put it on that gash."

Sandpaw's leg shook as she pushed her cobweb-wrapped paw on the huge, bleeding cut. Firepaw moaned softly and shifted slightly, making Sandpaw gasp and pull away. But she quickly put her paw back in place, despite another anguished cry from Firepaw.

It seemed like she had been applying pressure for a moon when Yellowfang practically screamed, "That's enough!" The medicine cat bent over Firepaw and began applying a poultice of goldenrod, to help the wounds heal faster, and marigold, to stop infection. Firepaw writhed in pain as the stinging herbs sank into his cuts, but Yellowfang held him down with her paw.

Sandpaw had just stepped away to give them some space when Yellowfang motioned with her tail for her to come help again. "Firepaw's leg is broken. I need you to run back to my den and get me some comfrey root." Sandpaw bounded away as Yellowfang shouted, "And hurry!"

Sandpaw found herself running like mad toward the Thunderclan camp again, only this time everything went in slow motion. She was beginning to feel really dizzy and weak from all the running, but she continued nonetheless. Sandpaw felt like she was floating past the trees and shrubs, her paws just scraping the ground. A bird shrieked and, startled, flew away; she could hear a mouse scuffling somewhere to her left; a few foxlengths in front of her she saw a plant with large leaves and small bell-like flowers that looked a lot like comfrey…

_Wait a minute! Comfrey!_ Sandpaw skidded to a stop and looked closely at the unusual plant. It certainly looked a lot like comfrey, but she couldn't be sure. After all, she had only seen it once a long time ago when she had had a small cut that needed soothed. She debated, unsure whether to continue going to camp, or risk getting the wrong herb. In a sudden spurt of doubt, Sandpaw started to run towards camp again, but stopped and glanced at the plant once more. She hesitated longer and longer, wasting precious time.

Finally, eager to get back to Firepaw, Sandpaw padded over the plant, dug up some of it, and grabbed the fat, black roots in her mouth. As she sprinted back to Yellowfang, she could only hope she had gotten the right herb. If she hadn't, and she had to run all the way to camp and back again, it could be too late for Firepaw.

She began to doubt herself even more as she leaped into the clearing, and Yellowfang looked at the roots in her mouth, eyes narrowing. Had she made the wrong decision?

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Sorry about the lateness, as usual. It is really hard to get on the computer to type new chapters with so much going on at the end of the school year. I don't mean to sound like I am making excuses, but it's the truth. I wonder if anybody is still reading my story. I hope some people didn't just get tired of waiting and give up! That would be terrible. Is anybody still out there? Please review if you are still reading and, as always, give an honest opinion of my story (but no flames please). Thanks! And sorry again!


	8. Chapter 8: Staying With Firepaw

Chapter 8: Staying With Firepaw

Sandpaw padded over to Yellowfang, who was still eyeing the roots.

"That doesn't look like the comfrey from my stock of herbs," Yellowfang mewed.

"They aren't from your den," Sandpaw replied, setting the roots at the medicine cat's feet. "I saw some on the way there and got that to save some time."

"And you're sure that this is comfrey?"

"Well, no, but I just thought—"

"It's okay, Sandpaw," Yellowfang interrupted after the sniffing the roots. "You have a very good eye. Indeed, this is comfrey. And you brought it not a moment too soon." She immediately set to work, chewing the comfrey roots into a poultice and beginning to apply it to Firepaw's broken foreleg. "This will help his leg heal."

Firepaw moaned as Yellowfang touched his broken limb. Sandpaw impulsively knelt beside him and licked his cheek.

"Could you hold his mouth open while I give him some poppy seed?" Yellowfang asked after she had finished with the comfrey.

"Okay," Sandpaw said. She carefully pried his mouth open and held it there with her forepaws, while Yellowfang pushed some crushed poppy to the back of his throat. Firepaw reflexively swallowed.

"All we can do now is wait and hope the treatments work effectively," Yellowfang meowed.

Sandpaw looked at Yellowfang like she was crazy. "We have to take him back to your den! He can't just lie in the middle of a clearing!"

"Sandpaw," Yellowfang said calmly, "We can't move him until he has recovered some. We could end up injuring him even more."

Sandpaw looked at Firepaw's battered form. "I'm not leaving him until he wakes," she meowed, lying beside him. She looked around the clearing, daring someone to oppose. Whitestorm, Graypaw, and Runningwind looked on with sympathetic faces, while Darkstripe and Dustpaw glared at her.

"Wait," Sandpaw said. "Where's Bluestar?"

Whitestorm spoke. "She went back to camp to tell everyone what happened."

Then Yellowfang looked at her, eyes softening. "You go ahead and stay with him, Sandpaw. I know how much you care about him. In fact, I think you can stay here with him while I go with the others to bring these traitors to camp. I think Bluestar will have already thought of an appropriate punishment."

Anger flashed in Yellowfang's eyes for a moment as she whipped her head around to look at the murderous cats. They flinched under her penetrating gaze. Then she turned back to Sandpaw, who nodded.

Yellowfang led the way as the others formed a barrier around Darkstripe and Dustpaw. With Yellowfang's words ringing in her head, Sandpaw watched until they were out of sight.

_I know how much you care about him._

She looked down at Firepaw. _I do care about him, _she thought, _a lot. _Sandpaw placed her head on his flank and, careful not to touch his wounds, breathed in his scent. Though it was mixed with the smell of blood, it made her believe everything would be all right.

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Did you like it? I hope so. Please oh please review! Just to let you know, I think there will be ten chapters. So only two more to go! And thanks so much to everyone who has reviewed.


	9. Chapter 9: Together Forever

Chapter 9: Together Forever

Sandpaw awoke from a pleasant dream to darkness. Blinking a few times and looking up at the sky, she realized it was moonhigh. In the dream, she had been running through the forest with Firepaw. He hadn't had a scratch on him. Now she looked down at her still sleeping love. He looked exactly the same as he had before her nap. The sight of him still injured instantly wiped away any sense of happiness she had had because of the dream.

"He looks better already," a voice meowed behind her. Sandpaw turned to see Bluestar looking Firepaw over.

"You think?" replied Sandpaw glancing down at him again. "He doesn't look any better to me."

"It will take time," Bluestar said.

Yellowfang padded up. "Yes, Bluestar is right. But I am sure he will heal. Look," Yellowfang pointed to the worst of his cuts. "The swelling has already gone down and he is sleeping peacefully."

"When do you think he will wake up?" Sandpaw asked, wanting to shake him awake right then and there.

"It's hard to say," Yellowfang replied. "Some cats take just until the next day to wake. Others can take a quarter moon."

Sandpaw gasped. "A _quarter moon_!? That's so long!"

"Yes, but I doubt it will take him that long," Yellowfang said. "His injuries are not extremely severe and they appear to be healing well."

"I hope he wakes soon," Sandpaw sighed.

"Will you be alright if we go back to camp until sunrise?" Bluestar asked. Sandpaw nodded. They began to pad away. Suddenly, Sandpaw remembered the reason why Firepaw had become injured.

"Wait!" she called. The two cats turned around. "What happened to Darkstripe and Dustpaw?" Yellowfang whispered something in Bluestar's ear, and then continued out of the clearing as the Clan leader sat down in front of Sandpaw.

"They are being held at the camp until you and Firepaw return. Once you two are safely back at camp, they will be banished from Thunderclan for good. And I have told every cat that if they are seen in our territory, do not hesitate to kill them," Bluestar meowed, emphasizing the last words.

Sandpaw was glad that they would be rightly punished. "But why are they being held in camp?" she asked.

"We can't let those murderous cats out with you and Firepaw alone. They could come right back here to finish you off."

Sandpaw's eyes widened. She hadn't thought of that! "Oh, right." She was kind of embarrassed.

Bluestar got up and touched her tail to Sandpaw's flank. "Don't worry. I'm sure Firepaw will be fine." Just then, Yellowfang returned with a squirrel dangling from her mouth. "Especially with Yellowfang's expert care." The medicine cat purred and dropped the fresh kill in front of Sandpaw.

"Thanks," she said. Realizing she was very hungry, Sandpaw tore off a large chunk. The juicy meat was delicious. "Thanks," she said again. Bluestar and Yellowfang padded away as she continued her meal. Once she was finished, she once again placed her head on Firepaw's flank, but this time the muscle under her snout twitched, causing her to sit bolt upright.

Sandpaw stared at Firepaw, willing him to move again, willing him to wake up. He moaned and, after some slight wiggling, slowly opened his eyes.

"Firepaw!" Sandpaw screeched. She had to stop herself from throwing herself into him. Instead, she settled for leaning down and licking his face all over.

"Hey! Sandpaw, stop!" Firepaw said, but his eyes were sparkling with humor. The fur on the top of his head was sticking up.

Sandpaw looked at Firepaw, the emotions welling up inside of her. She couldn't say anything; she didn't need to. Firepaw looked back at her with the same feelings. Sandpaw knew that he would be alright. And they both knew that their love for each other would keep them together forever.

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What did you think? Please review! And thanks so so much to everyone who reviewed. I really never expected to get so much response for this story. Only one more chapter to go!


	10. Chapter 10: Secret

Chapter 10: Secret

"Hey, Sandpaw! Wait up!"

Sandpaw wheeled around and waited for Firepaw. In her eagerness to begin their first hunt together since he was injured, she had bounded out of the camp full speed, forgetting Firepaw's still healing leg. Though he could walk and run, Yellowfang said his leg would never recover enough to be able to sprint as fast as Sandpaw. Sandpaw didn't mind, though. She would slow her pace to match his, even if it was as slow as a snail's.

Firepaw emerged from the gorse tunnel a second later. He had a slight limp, but there was no other evidence of his injuries besides a small scar along his side where there was no fur.

"I thought you'd left me behind!" Firepaw meowed, faking a hurt expression.

Sandpaw purred and went over to rub herself against him. "No way," she said. "I would never leave you behind."

Firepaw licked her cheek. "I know."

They started off into the forest in a random direction. Soon, they scented a sparrow at the same time. Sandpaw nodded for Firepaw to go ahead. He slowly stalked forward, silent as ever. He disappeared behind a bush, and, a second later, a bird's screech rang through the forest, but was quickly cut off. Firepaw reappeared with the sparrow in his jaws.

"Great job!" Sandpaw exclaimed, exuberant. She had not expected him to do so well so soon.

"Thanks," Firepaw said, setting the sparrow down. "I didn't even notice my leg when I crouched down and stalked it."

"Well, that's good. I was afraid you wouldn't be able to hunt anymore. I thought you might scare all the animals away!" Sandpaw teased.

Firepaw laughed. "We'll come and get this later," he said, scraping some dirt over his catch. "I want to show you something."

"What is it?" Sandpaw asked. She had no idea what it could be.

"You'll see." Firepaw led the way at a brisk pace. After a while, it seemed to Sandpaw like they'd been walking forever.

"How much farther is it?" she asked impatiently.

"Not far now," Firepaw said without looking at her.

They had started their hunt late and, by this time, the sun was starting to set. Sandpaw worried that they wouldn't be back to camp by nightfall. But just as she was about to say that they had better head back, Firepaw stopped. She looked around, but didn't see anything unusual. He went over to a normal-looking rock and examined it.

"What are you doing?" Sandpaw asked, perplexed.

Firepaw looked back at her, amusement in his liquid green eyes. "I'm just checking to see if this is the right rock."

"The right rock?" Sandpaw repeated, still just as confused. Firepaw beckoned for her to come over there with his tail. She padded over, looking at the rock curiously.

"See the indentations? There are four in a row," Firepaw mewed, pointing to the small dips in the rock with his paw.

Sandpaw looked at him, incredulous. "_This_ is what you wanted to show me?"

Firepaw laughed loudly. "No. _This _is what I wanted to show you," he said, shoving aside a large clump of ferns next to the rock.

A small meadow was on the other side, invisible behind the ferns. As Sandpaw walked into the clearing, with Firepaw following, she thought it was just about the most beautiful place she had ever seen.

Colorful wildflowers and plants grew all around, taking advantage of the last rays of the setting sun. In the center was a little pool of water. Sandpaw went and sat next to it, and Firepaw sat beside her. The sunlight shone off the water, shimmering and sparkling.

"It's so beautiful," she murmured, mesmerized.

"Yes," Firepaw agreed, scooting closer to her. "I discovered this place on a solitary hunting trip. It's completely surrounded be tall ferns, totally hidden from view. But I'm still surprised nobody has found it yet."

"Maybe someone has, but they just didn't tell anyone," Sandpaw meowed, not taking her eyes away from the pool. She could understand why someone would want to keep this place a secret.

"Maybe," Firepaw replied. "But I think we should consider this our secret place."

Sandpaw purred, pressing her muzzle to his and licking his ear.

They sat there for a while, just glad for each other's company. A sudden wave of drowsiness caused Sandpaw to look at the sky. She realized with a start that the moon had taken the place of the sun. The sunlight in the water had been replaced with moonlight and a few glittering stars. She hadn't even noticed!

"Firepaw!" she yelled, jumping up and breaking the long silence. "The clan is going to be worried sick!"

Firepaw didn't seem alarmed, though. "It's okay, Sandpaw. I told Bluestar we wouldn't be back until after sunrise."

"And she didn't mind?" she said, still unnerved.

"Not at all," he assured her.

"Oh," Sandpaw said, curling up against him.

Firepaw licked the top of her head. "I love you," he purred.

"I love you, too," Sandpaw said, thoroughly content. Pretty soon they both fell asleep.

And they stayed there in their secret clearing until the sun began to rise, and the sunlight replaced the moonlight and the stars, and the birds started to sing. And then Sandpaw and Firepaw headed back to camp, tails entwined, where curious faces met them, asking them where they had been all night. But they would never tell.

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IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE!

Oh my goodness. I can't believe how long it has been since I updated. I am so sorry. I went to a camp, then on vacation, then to another camp. I had absolutely no time to do anything. Okay, enough of that. Good news: I finally updated. Yay! Bad news: This is it. This is the last chapter "Love for a Kittypet." I truly hope you enjoyed it. Thanks so much to everyone who read and reviewed. I really appreciate your support. And I definitely did not expect this much feedback for my third story. Please recommend this to your friends. And I am taking a writing class in school, so keep a lookout for more stories from me on Fanfiction and Fictionpress. I have the same pen name on Fictionpress. So, thanks again, and adios!


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